| Date | 29 July 2011 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | VP-0137 |
| Volume | Views of the Past |
| Collection | Press Clippings |
Transcript
Pilot who flew ‘last’ Hurricane
THIS week I was delighted to hear from Stephen Clark, an instructor with the Air Training Corps at Bracknell, in connection with the last Hurricane to be made at the Hawker Siddeley factory in Sutton Lane in Langley.
He tells me that the last Hurricane was piloted by Paul Ward Spencer Bulman (universally known as George Bulman) CBE MC AFC.
George Bulman was chief test pilot at Hawker Aircraft between 1925 and 1945. However, his flying career had begun significantly earlier when he transferred from the Honourable Artillery Company to the Royal Flying Corps in the early part of the First World War. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1918 and also the Air Force Cross.
He continued in the Royal Air Force until 1925; during this time 1919-1925 he was a Test Pilot at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. In 1925, he resigned his permanent commission and transferred to the reserve as a Flight Lieutenant to become the Chief Test Pilot at Hawker Aircraft for the next 20 years. During the mid-1920s, he won several air races flying the Hawker Cygnet and during the Second World War, he was head of the test branch of the British Air Commission in Washington, DC and was appointed honorary Group Captain.
During his time at Hawker, he performed the maiden flights on the Hawker Gamecock, Heron, Horsley, Hart, Tomtit, F.20/27, Demon, Hurricane and Hector. In 1935 he became a director of the company.
Mr Clark also sent in a photograph donated by Mr Ron Harman of the last Hurricane featured in my last article, surrounded by members of the production crew. Those depicted on the photograph are G Tame (Drills), H Wilcox (Rib Shop), Mr Lambert (Stores), Mr Johns (Rib Shop), and Mr Hawker (Rib Shop). Sadly, we do not know which person shown in the photo is which. Anyone recognise any of these people?
[Caption below photograph]: DO YOU RECOGNISE THEM? Members of the Hawker production team grouped around the last of the Hurricane (known as ‘The Last of Many’) to be made at Langley.
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